Protoganda: Strings is a fast-paced vertical shooter inspired by protoganda, old Soviet 8mm movies. Gameplay consists of sequences of boss fights, of which the order can be defined or randomized. Each enemy's vital part is represented by a red orb and the player's ship has a red orb as well. By shooting, the ship launches an unlimited stream of bullets that needs to damage the center orb to break off the cannons. Each enemy comes with different parts and bullet patterns. The game takes place against a fast-scrolling background and objects are represented by solid shapes of different colours. Games last as long as the timer does not run out, with a start time of 3 minutes. Additional time is earned by destroying enemies with bonuses for skipping units. Getting killed deducts 40 seconds of the timer. The current score and the high score is shown at all times.

There are 2 main game modes. In Shield, the player can activate a defensive tool to repel bullets, and load a charging function for more damage. The Absorb mode borrows from Ikaruga, introducing a 2-color system. The player can change his ship's core to one of the available colors with a press of a button. Identical colors can be absorbed to receive extra time and build up a charge shot. The other colors need to be avoided. Both modes have an online high score table. The bosses' names are taken from a list of the 50 most common Russian family names.

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